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A fabulous gadget that I couldn't live without

I had been using a similar type of corer and slicer that I had bought from Ikea several months before, unfortunately it really wasn't very good and I still needed to use a knife to slice the partially cut apple. When I saw this Good grips apple slicer in Debenhams I thought I would give it a try. Here is how I got on with it.......

The slicer/corer comes with very little packaging which is always a plus in my mind. It is just tied to a cardboard hanger with the instructions and company info on the back.

The slicer has a white plastic outer frame with black rubber handles. The handles are big enough to fit my giant 'man hands' in and are lovely and soft which makes it easy and comfortable to use. The blades are made of stainless steel . It is designed with eight segments in an outer circle to slice the apple and a small circle in the middle to core it. The segments are evenly sized giving you perfectly slices of apple every time you use it, so great for making a tarte tatin or apple flan.

The blades are really really sharp and on more than one occasion I have had a near miss, once was very near and took my nail off, a millimetre closer and it would have been my finger. :-0

I find the slicer and corer very simple to use, you really can't go wrong (cutting off fingers aside !!) All you need to do is place the corer over the top of your apple and gently push down. You do not need to use much force, it glides through the apple with ease. You are left with the core and eight juicy segments of apple.

It is a bit fiddly to wash as some of the apple skin gets stuck between the blades, I usually need to use a brush to get it clean. It can be put in the dish washer if you are lucky enough to have one.

I use my corer several times a day, my children usually bite into an apple two or three times and then throw it away because they are scared of eating the pips, (my lovely uncle once told them a tree would grow in their tummy) by slicing it they eat the whole apple, it's also great for adding a couple of slices to yoghurt or porridge and brilliant for making pies, crumbles and fruit salads.

As it is made by OXO good grips you will be able to find this nifty gadget in quite a few shops, such as John Lewis, Lakeland and Robert Dyers. I bought my slicer from Debenhams for about £8. It has lasted six months so far and is still as good as new. I love it and think it was worth every penny

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Easy way to cut and core your apples

OXO Good Grips Apple Divider

I have trouble using knives in the kitchen. While browsing Amazon, I came across this and thought I'd give it a go.

It is a basic gadget designed to both remove the core and cut an apple into separate small pieces with one quick downward motion. It sounded like something I could use and I was hoping it would encourage me to eat more fruit.

The gadget itself is a large circle with two rubber handles at each end. Inside the circle is a smaller circle which I like to think of as the bulls eye. Sprouting off the bulls eye are stainless steel strips to divide the apple into eight equally sized pieces.

The way it works is that you put an apple on a flat surface. Then line up the bulls eye or smaller circle over the core of the apple and push down. The bulls eye and the strips running off it to the edge of the larger circle are stainless steel and they will core and split the apple into pieces. The core comes out in the shape of a large cigar.

The rubber handles are black and the large circle is made of strong white plastic.

In the description for this, it says it has stainless steel blades but I wouldn't class them as blades. I touch them with my fingers and they are not sharp at all. During normal use, your hands should be on the rubber handles, out of the way of them so you can't accidentally chop off a finger.

Unfortunately, this gadget didn't help me eat more apples. When I first got it, I tried splitting an apple. I put all my weight behind it and I ended up lifting myself up off the floor; nothing happened to the apple. It requires a slight rocking type action to be performed for it to cut through. I've tried it at other times and it has cut straight through in less than a few seconds. I've not mastered it completely but the rest of my family use this on a regular basis without problems. They love it and find it works very well. It is easy to clean in the sink and it is dishwasher-safe.

== Price and Availability ==This is currently selling for £5.08 on amazon.co.uk with free delivery. This is slightly higher than what I recall paying for it last year, it is sturdy and should last a very long time.

== Summary and recommendation ==I've given this 4 stars. I've not mastered how to use it, but with a bit of practice, I think I could if I wanted to. My family use it all the time and have no problems. I can recommend it for people who are lazy and want a quick way to cut up their apples, or find it difficult to use knives. I'm not sure about people with mobility difficulties or the elderly due to my own experience with it.